The Latest: Studies don’t support Trump’s ‘cleanest’ claim

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2015 file photo, a plume of steam billows from the coal-fired Merrimack Station in Bow, N.H. President Donald Trump said the United States "will continue to be the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country on Earth" as he announced pulling out of an international accord designed to curb climate change. But facts muddy that claim. Data show the U.S. is among the dirtiest countries when it comes to heat-trapping carbon pollution. One nation that has cleaner air in nearly every way is Sweden. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s claims that the United States “will continue to be the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country on Earth” (all times local):

5:20 p.m.

Facts about the American environment call into question President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. is the world’s cleanest and most environmentally friendly country.

Trump made that claim when he announced the U.S. was pulling out of an international accord on climate change.

But data show the U.S. is among the dirtiest countries when it comes to heat-trapping carbon pollution. The U.S. emits more carbon dioxide than any other nation except China.

The U.S. does fare better in some traditional air pollution measurements. For example, it’s better than most of the world when it comes to dangerous soot or fine particles.

Some climate experts say the U.S. leads in helping people fight for a clean environment by having laws and procedures that allow citizens to sue to enforce pollution protections.

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8:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump says the United States will still be the cleanest country in the world even as it withdraws from the international climate pact.

But facts muddy that claim.

Data show that the U.S. is among the dirtiest countries when it comes to heat-trapping carbon pollution.

One country that has cleaner air in nearly every way is Sweden.

Figures from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory show the U.S. ranks second dirtiest in total carbon dioxide emissions — behind only China.

The U.S. is No. 2 in per person carbon pollution among industrialized nations.

In 2014, the U.S. spewed 237 times more carbon dioxide in the air than Sweden did.

Trump recently announced he was pulling the U.S. from the Paris agreement to curb climate change.